Body protector



' July 22, 1952 E. P. HAINES BODY PROTECTOR Filed Nov. 9, 1949 INVENTOR Em 21; Fe Zel :sonfiaines aim @M ATTORNEYS Patented July 22, 1952 2,603,786 I BODY rRo'rEo'roR Emmy Peterson llaines, Jackson Heights, N. Y. Application November 9, 1949, Serial No. 126,395

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a body protector and more particularly to a pad or cushion which may beworn'over the knee or elbow.

Now, as never before, every housewife is faced with the necessity of retaining her beauty and her health even though she is increasingly burdetned with the care of a family and home.

Consequently any device which may relieve her task and ease the rigors of such physical labor is welcome indeed.

I As an example of the ill effects of arduous chores, a condition known colloquially as housemaids knee is acquired by scrubbing floors on ones hands and knees, and even more serious the objects of my invention to provide a relatively simple cushion which may be worn on the knees or elbows for protection when leaning against a hard surface. Another object is to provide a soft pad which is satisfactory for the purposes set forth. Still another object is to provide an economical and lightweight structure which is easily secured to the limb and worn with comfort. These and other objects of my invention will be apparent from the description which follows.

Fig. 1 illustrates a protector attached to the knee of a wearer.

Fig. 2 is enlarged posterior view of the protector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The structure which I employ is quite simple and inexpensive and yet very unique in performing the functions heretofore mentioned. For the soft pad material, I prefer to employ a fiat, somewhat semi-circular piece of foam rubber of suitable size and thickness whereby its circular edge represents the top of the protector. This foam rubber core is covered with an inexpensive fabric, such as calico or denim, in a way to impart curvature to the protector. Suitable tapes are attached to the seams of the cover in such fashion and location as to give proper support to the pad when worn.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a protector I0 is shown fastened to the wearers leg I2 by four straps I4, I 6, l8 and 20 which may be any flexible material such as cotton tape, leather, elastic, ribbon, etc. Fastening the protector to the knee may be completed simply' bycrossing straps l4 and I6 behind the knee joint and over the thigh and tieing them in a bow 22, and tieing straps l3 and 20 in a bow 24 behind the leg as shown. In this way the protector rests just below the\ joint of the knee and over the patella where needed most.

The method of attaching the cover to the core is illustrated in Fig. 2 where a posterior fabric cover 3| is sewn around one edge 32 to anterior fabric cover 30. The four straps are sewn to the cover at seam 32, strap 20 being placed at edge 40, strap l8 at edge 38, while upper straps l4 and I6 are preferably positioned in the neighborhood of the intersections of the straight sides and the arc of the protector so as to be substantially equidistant from edges 40, 38 and. apex 42. The particular tucks and stitching necessary to bind these parts are shown in cross-section in Fig. 3 with a flat foam rubber cushion 44 in a curved position by virtue of the darting which will now be described.

The curvature of the protector is obtained by foreshortening posterior cover 3i by taking darts 26 and 28 at a slight angle across its face. Darts 26 and 28 are preferably so positioned as to intersect the lower side of seam 32 in substantially three equal segments between the points 40-34, 34--36 and 36-38, and have extensions 21 and 29 over the bottom edge to take up any remaining slack in the material. By so locating the darts 26 and 28 a smooth curvature is imparted to the protector. Posterior cover 3| is thereby drawn taut to curve cushion 44, leaving a gap 46 in the concavity which, on fitting to the limb, is closed to increase the curvature to provide a more comfortable fit and to reduce tension on seam 32 where the straps are joined (because the angle of pull of the straps becomes normal to the seam). A further advantage from a manufacturing standpoint is obtained by the reduction in cost between taking darts 26 and 28 in posterior cover 3| to shape the protector and in preforming core 44 to that desired shape before covering.

Since the protector is likely to be used under moist conditions, there may be added to the posterior side of core 44 a suitable waterproof coating or material 48 as shown in Fig. 3, which preferably is situated beneath cover 3|. This keeps moisture absorbed by the protector away from the knee and prevents the core from absorbing perspiration from the body.

My body protector is inexpensive, lightweight,

and simple to attach and one may be placed on Y 7 3 each knee hardly without the wearer being aware of its presence; toprovide a soft cushion which is automatically situated at the appropriate location when the weight of the body is placed upon the knees. Similarly, a protector may be worn on each elbow, or wherever burden or pressure is to be relieved. 1

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set-forth; it is to be understoodfthat 'all matter hereinbeforeset forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is r to be'interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is: i

1. A body protector consisting of'the combination of a flat cushion of suitable thickness which is shaped rectangular in its lower section and semi-circular in its upper section, posteriorand anterior fabric covers which fit over said cushion and, are, stitched together around its front. peripheral edge, the lposteriorgcover beings-"foreshortened by dartslofsuch width. as to cmake the area of said. posterior coverless than the area of said anterior cover whereby curvature: is imsemi-circular in its upper section, posterior and anterior fabric covers which fit over said cushion and are stitched together around its front peripheral edge, the posterior cover being foreshortened by two darts fanning out acrossthe face of said posterior cover from the two points which trisect its lower straight edge the width of said darts being such as to make the area of said posterior cover less than the area ofsaid anterior cover whereby curvature 'jis .impartedqto said cushion, and four strapslattached to the peripheral stitching of the cover and adapted to be tied around the limb of the wearer, one of said straps being attached to each pointof intersection between the semi-circular top edge and the straight sides of said cushion and to each corner of said lower section, whereby said protector conforms to the contour of the limb to which it is tied.

' EMMY PETERSON HAINES.

REFERENCES [QITED The following referenies are of; record file of this patents H u I 3: r W

UNITED" STATES PATENTS Krcmar r Aug. 10*, 1,9318 

